


Then There Was Four

by onereyofstarlight



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Episode Tag, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-19 02:20:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22436944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onereyofstarlight/pseuds/onereyofstarlight
Summary: While Gordon is injured, he makes a decision regarding his temporary replacement for Thunderbird Four's pilot.
Kudos: 27





	Then There Was Four

**Author's Note:**

> Written following 3x19 but very much set before the episode itself. Written assuming that Gordon disappeared to complete physical therapy following his accident and that 3x19 was pretty much as soon as he got back. Uh yeah, enjoy :D

“And there he is,” called Virgil cheerfully. “Man of the hour!”

Gordon grinned as he twirled on his good leg. “Look, no hands! Whoops!”

Scott started as the front of Gordon’s foot caught on the rug and he began to topple over, but Alan held him back.

“He’s got it, Scott,” he said, nodding towards Gordon who had grabbed a hold of the benchtop on his way down.

“Yeah Scott, I got this.” He leaned heavily on the granite and groaned as he pushed himself upright again.

“Are you sure,” began Scott, but Gordon waved him off.

“I’m fine,” he said, his tone hinting at a dark warning that none of them were yet used to hearing but all of them had learnt to heed. “Relatively fine anyway. Can we get started? Virgil?”

Virgil obligingly lifted Gordon up and carried him down the stairs towards the kitchen. “You know, you’re a lot lighter without those casts on.”

“Worried you won’t get your workout in?”

“It’s like you’re asking to be dropped,” said Virgil, kicking the door open. He walked over to the circle of chairs where John and Kayo were already sitting and carefully lay Gordon down.

“Aw, come on, I can sit in a chair,” said Gordon.

“Your doctor said have to keep your spine straight,” said Virgil, crossing his arms. “Take it up with her tomorrow if you like, but I’ve seen your posture.”

“Tell him Kayo!” said Gordon hopefully. She shot him an unimpressed look and turned back to her conversation.

“There you see,” said Virgil. “What burger do you want, Scott and Alan are coming out now.”

Sure enough, the two appeared with plates loaded high. Before the plates had been deposited, the family had descended like vultures in a bid to grab the best looking burgers and leaving nothing but crumbs behind.

“Well, it’s a good thing we left some patties uncooked,” said Scott looking down forlornly.

“You snooze, you lose Scotty,” called Gordon. “It’s nature at her finest.”

“Come on, you don’t need three burgers, Allie,” he said, looking around him.

“I’m a growing teenager you don’t know what I need,” said Alan, placing the plate behind him.

“Virgil? Five?”

“Hey, Gordon and I are sharing!”

“Kayo?”

“Touch my food and die, Tracy.”

Scott turned desperately to John in a last-ditch attempt.

“Do you know the last time I got to eat a cheeseburger?” said John, indifferently. “No way, Gordon’s right, you snoozed and you lost.”

Scott grumbled as he stood up to make more burgers, but Grandma Tracy’s voice stopped him.

“I finished making those burgers for you kids,” she called down from the balcony above. “Come and get it!”

“Yeah Scott, go and get it,” said Virgil grinning as he took a big bite out of his burger.

“You don’t want to keep Grandma waiting,” said John.

“I’m disowning you all,” said Scott before making his way inside.

The conversation stayed light for much of the meal, everyone cheered to see Gordon sans casts but as the sun began to set and the shadows began to lengthen, the talk took on a more sombre note.

“What time are we leaving tomorrow, Gordon?” asked Virgil quietly. He had intended his words for Gordon alone, but the statement brought everyone to a hush.

“Uh, check-in is at two,” said Gordon. “Just like a hotel.”

“You’re sure you don’t want the rest of us to come with you?” asked Scott. “We can be there if you need us.”

“No,” said Gordon quickly. “Geez, it’s physio not a morgue. You don’t need to come and hold my hand.”

“You’re not nervous?” asked Alan with round eyes.

“Nah, what’s to be scared of?”

“Just,” Alan faltered a little. “Won’t it hurt?”

Gordon swallowed slightly as the others exchanged glances.

Virgil leaned over and placed his hand on Gordon’s shoulder. He smiled encouragingly as Gordon glanced up quickly and made eye contact.

“Yeah Allie, it probably will,” he said quietly. “But it’ll be good you know, I’ll be back before you know it and better than ever.”

“Yeah, and we can send holos whenever you like, squirt,” said Scott, pulling Alan in for a quick one-armed hug.

“Which does remind me,” said Gordon, putting his plate down on the ground. “We’ve been lucky so far with Thunderbird Four, but that’s not going to last.”

“He’s right,” said Kayo. “We need to decide who’s best suited to piloting her with Gordon out of commission.”

“What are you talking about, I’ll pilot her,” said Scott indignantly.

There was a chorus of spluttering laughter at that.

“I could do it,” said Scott glaring around the group. “I’ve been trained.”

“Scott, last time you weren’t even rescuing a person and you ran into trouble,” said Virgil with a smirk.

“Okay, how was that my fault, that gunk was everywhere,” he protested.

“You could have listened to me,” muttered Gordon.

“And no offence Scott, but I don’t want to be you to be relegated to co-piloting Two any more than you do,” said Virgil.

“Besides to pilot Four, you need a delicate touch,” said Gordon with a grin.

“Oh, like you? You’re delicate?”

“You’ve got as much subtlety as a log, Scott,” said John, calmly interjecting over Gordon’s indignant retort. “Gordon’s right, we’re not going down to rescue you every time you screw up because you’re too impatient to listen to advice. And Gordon won’t be available if you need help.”

“The ocean is no place for messing around. This could have been so much worse,” said Gordon, gesturing up and down his body. “This was damned good luck and people being there when I needed them to be. And if you can’t guarantee that for the people we rescue, you’re not touching a single panel on Four’s body.”

The mood sobered immediately as they recalled the way Gordon looked, crushed and lifeless under the chimney debris. Gordon had no memories of the incident past the overwhelming panic he'd felt as heavy rock careened towards the submarine and he scrabbled desperately for his helmet and oxygen supply. He’d seen the recordings though by accident, when Lady Penelope had been reviewing them unaware that he’d woken up in the hospital bed beside her. Those early memories too were fuzzy but he’d watched, disconnected and shocked as she pulled his limp body from the wreckage and cradled his head between her hands. He’d pretended not to see the tear that fell from her cheek onto her compact but he couldn’t unsee the way Four’s mangled body had mimicked his own.

He was aware that everyone was staring at him as he shook himself from his reverie and gave a weak, unconvincing grin.

“Look, she’s mine and I get the final say,” he said firmly. “I want Alan to pilot her.”

“Me?” asked Alan in surprise.

“I think it’s a good choice,” said Kayo with a smile.

“Are you really sure though,” asked Alan.

“Why not?” said Gordon cheerfully. “You do great in the Pods, you’ve done deep water training to get space fit, and I know you can think on your feet. As long as you do what Virgil says - when he says it - in Two, you’ll be great!”

“What about Thunderbird Three?” asked Scott, still looking a little ruffled.

“Leave her docked with me,” said John. “I can handle her if anything comes up. And Grandma and Brains can handle dispatch if necessary.”

“Maybe you should also check the usual suspects haven’t got anything planned,” said Virgil with a grin. “Forewarned is forearmed, after all.”

“Believe me, Thunderbird Five has been running a red tape protocol on Fischler and LeMaire for the last three months. If either of them manages to get through all the bureaucracy I’ve invented, we’ll have all the information on their intentions in triplicate before they’ve even made orbit.”

Virgil laughed and slung his arm around Alan’s shoulder. “What do you say? Co-pilots?”

Alan looked wistfully out towards the east, where Venus had begun to shine in the evening sky. “I’ll miss it out there.”

“Hey, it’s not forever,” said Virgil with a smile. “And Gordon tells me there’s a whole world to see down below.”

“There sure is!”

Alan’s gaze dropped to the sea and took a deep breath, his heart fluttering excitedly within.

“Then Thunderbird Four is go!”

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted from Tumblr, originally posted on 9/1/20
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


End file.
